Tag Archive | virtue

Humility

True humility is a nonjudgmental state
Free from pride, arrogance, vanity, and the need
To be right. Dictionaries define it as low
Self-regard and unworthiness, yet one should know
That form self-deprecation a person is freed
By humility. It’s a most virtuous trait.

Recognition of the limits of the ego
Thinking mind and its inability to know
And to truly experience reality
Will lead one to a genuine humility.
It’s needed in order for the spirit to grow
In the light of acceptance and of letting go.

Through humility and the ever-present choice
Of peace out of love, one can relinquish even
The most cherished of negatives such as hatred,
Spitefulness, and revenge, and replace them instead
With the peace of compassion. One can enter then
A place where one is hearing their own still small voice.

It’s one of the foundations of devotional
Spiritual life. It’s of open mindedness
To the current opportunity to advance
And to know that we all share the same circumstance.
One’s humility is spiritual progress.
One can find it to be something that’s natural.

Compassion

Apr28

When concern for the welfare of others is more
Than one has for oneself, is that called compassion?
It’s not pity, wishful thinking, or attachment.
It does not mean that self-regard isn’t present.
It’s the greatest virtue in almost every one
Of the religious teachings as ever before.

True compassion is the ability to be
Sympathetic and empathetic. The desire
To alleviate another’s pain and distress
Becomes stronger. Tangibly one wants to express
Understanding and kindness. One doesn’t require
Anything back. Indeed, it’s given willingly.

Compassion motivates us to help others, and
It helps us to see past our own self-interest.
It directs our attention towards others who
Are in need of attention. Everything we do
To provide them some comfort is doing our best
To make much better the situation at hand.

It’s a necessity. It’s not a luxury.
It’s a question of human survival that we
Learn to help one another. We will otherwise
As one troubled collective see our own demise.
All pathways to God honor the reality
Of the need for compassion. Who would not agree?

Empathy And Compassion

Jul20

True compassion is looking clearly at someone
Through the eyes of their better self while maintaining
One’s own sense of wellbeing. It’s good that we care
For how others are doing. Most folks are aware
Of the unending plight of human suffering
And would offer their help if something could be done.

Empathy is the understanding and sharing
Of the feelings of others. It falls somewhat short
Of the call to right action. One senses the pain
In the other, but pity is offered in vain.
This is certainly not conducive to support.
Negative connotations can empathy bring.

There are kindhearted people who can become prey
To those who’ve become needy professionally.
They’ve perfected the fine art of drawing folks in
To their confounding drama that makes the head spin.
One must exercise caution in giving freely
Of oneself in this real world in which we all play.

I can’t ignore the needy because I am one
Not through my better judgment does my growth occur.
Nonetheless, I am wealthy for all that I learn.
Need I feel like the object of someone’s concern
When I can live the life that I truly prefer?
I now know of compassion. New life is begun.

Loving Kindness

May18

Is there one supreme consciousness who knows all things
And lives throughout eternity in a fine place
Among worshiping angels and folks who were good
While engaging their brief duty of humanhood
On one odd speck of stardust deficient of grace?
That sounds God awful human as e’er the dick swings.

Consciousness is at issue. What atheists know
Or don’t know is precisely defined with logic
That would rival most Vulcans. Their minds are focused
On the tangible evidence. Science they trust
Over mere intuition, thinking it’s a trick
To distort their reality and cause them woe.

That’s why faith is a mystery. Others include
Life and death and the changing of blood into wine.
No one knows what will happen for sure when we die.
Anything conjured up then is worth a good try
As a viable framework with which to align.
The ego wants its virtuousness to exude.

Cultivation of virtue just makes common sense,
But it’s hard to attain such and stay there for long
Due to traits that aren’t virtuous, but that’s ok.
Cultivating Presence is the natural way
To disburse Loving Kindness. Not much can go wrong.
Communion with oneself is most proper defense.

Compassion

Mar5

When you are not identified with anything
Then you will become virtuous absolutely.
Only then you are capable of compassion.
If in some way you’re biased then you will have none.
You can be most compassionate genuinely.
It exudes from the heart in a loving wellspring.

I can be sympathetic to a certain cause.
Can I call that compassion? It’s compassionless.
The root word here is passion. It means energy
In the form of behavior that’s not about me.
I am somewhat deficient in that, I confess,
As sometimes in attempting, I wait for applause.

All encompassing passion about everything
Precludes pity or sympathy for anyone.
Everyone is as oneself, and life is a breeze.
One becomes an example that everyone sees
As a person of virtue. It’s not a reason
To become self-appeasing. Just let the heart sing.

The Magic Realist

A Poet's Path

Tag Archive | virtue